"Alright, Padfoot?" James asked when Sirius reappeared at the campsite in the Place of Invisible Sheep early in the evening.

Sirius had been gone all day since his realization about the Thestrals and had missed a good deal of fun that James, Jasper, and Oliver had, playing pick-up with some of the other lads hanging around the pitch in anticipation of the match the next day. They had all been quite impressed with Oliver, who had outflown several strong players that had been playing, including a couple guys on the reserve for the national league. But here he was, nearly half eight, and Sirius came wandering up the path to the campsite, whistling, as though nothing had happened and he'd been there all along.

He sank into the chair he'd vacated earlier as James asked the question and looked over at his mate, eyes sparkling as bright as ever. "Whyever wouldn't I be alright?" he asked.

"Dunno," James shrugged. "Just thought I'd check."

Sirius grinned. "What a good harem. Always looking out for me." He blew James a kiss and proceeded to position himself in one of his odd, pretzely ways, legs all coiled up and liquidy, like he'd been poured onto the chair.

James pretended to catch the kiss and shoved it in his pocket. "I'll save that for Tuesday."

Jasper shook his head, "You lot are mental, the both of you."

James tilted his head to look at Jasper. "Why am I, though? It's all Sirius that's mental."

"You play along with him."

"So don't you."

Jasper grinned.

"He's got you Odair, Jazzy," Sirius said, grinning.

"Well if it ain't James Potter and Sirius Black, I swear there ain't a lick of change about y'all since I seen ya last."

James looked up at the sound of the thick Texas-American accent and was surprised to see Jack Scout, the man who'd been the captain of the Ilvermorny team back in second year when the American school had come to Hogwarts to play a tournament. If James hadn't changed "a lick", then Jack certainly had. He'd gotten stronger looking and he wore a beard and glasses now. He smiled as he sauntered up, hands deep in his pockets, a baseball cap on his head.

James stood up and offered his hand to Jack. "Hullo, long time no see."

"I swear ain't a thing changed 'bout you but you got a bit taller'n you were," Jack laughed and he pulled James into a hug, clapping his hand on his back hard - James grunted with each clap. "How've you been you so-in-so?"

"Been alright," James said, pulling back from the hug. "How about you? I hear you're a big shot in the league now, 'ey?"

Sirius had stayed laying across his chair and he simply gave Jack a salute. He refused to stand up and get clapped on the back like that. If James had grunted at the claps, then surely Sirius's shoulder blades would snap.

Jack tipped his cap at Sirius. "Yeah, been workin' with the International Quidditch League all over the world, helpin' plug talented players into the best fittin' teams for'em. Been a great time, really great time. And you know I can't complain, I get to watch quidditch and come to events like this basically free on account'a I know half the teams... Been doin' it awhile now, really havin' a blast."

"Excellent," James said. "Good on you, mate."

"And you - ya so-in-so," Jack said, turning to look at Jasper. "What's this I heard about you gettin' hitched to my girl, Meg Johnson? That true?"

"Married Wednesday," Jasper said, grinning and holding up his hand to show off the wedding band on it.

"Well glory be, look'it that! Congratulations, man."

"Thanks," Jasper grinned.

Jack's eyes landed on Oliver and he said, "And you - you're the one I've come over here to see."

"Me?" Oliver looked confused.

"Yeah, you. Damn boy, I was watchin' that pick-up game a bit ago - came over as soon as I could get away from what I was doin' - and I've got to tell ya, you've got skills. Really good natural talent. Have you ever considered getting yourself a trainer?"

"I've got one," Oliver said, and he grinned at James.

Jack looked at James and laughed, "I might'a known if I'd thought on it."

"I was actually going to try at reaching out to you this Autumn," James said, "About Oliver. Wanted to see if you'd be interested in coming 'round to Hogwarts sometime and seeing him play in a match."

"No kiddin' - so you're thinkin' on goin' pro, are ya, kid?" Jack asked, nodding. "From what I seen earlier, I'd say that's a good call." He nodded. "Are you always a Seeker?"

"Sure am, but I can play Chaser if I'm needed," Oliver said.

"He's very good at both. Been working on getting him some experience with Keeping also, but Seeker's where he's best put," James said. "He can feint like you wouldn't believe, Scout. He's got a gift, I swear. It's like a sixth sense."

Jack grinned, "Very good. I'll certainly be thinkin' about you when it's time to go 'round the schools in the Spring, then." He paused and reached in the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a small stack of cards. He handed one to James and one to Jasper. "Keep in touch - let me know how training goes." Jack looked at Oliver and he said, "Work hard, kid, you never know what might come of it."

"Thanks Mr. Scout," Oliver said.

"You lot come 'round the pitch in the mornin' 'round half nine... I might be able to get'ch'y'all into the practice if you're interested in watchin'. Maybe get you some ideas for your trainin' sessions. England's got some great tactics you might be able to learn a bit from. Maybe I'll even get'cha to meet the players if there's time."

James grinned, "Brilliant!"

Jack Scout nodded to Sirius, James, and Oliver, then turned to Jasper. "Say hullo to the Missus for me, Odair."

"Will do," Jasper said.

When Jack had left, Oliver exploded with excitement. "DID YOU HEAR THAT?" he cried out, leaping to his feet and jumping onto James, ecstatic. "DID YOU HEAR THAT? HE BLOODY'S GONNA COME SEE MY PLAY IN THE SPRING!"

"I heard it!" James said, grinning as Oliver jumped up and down.

"BLOODY HELL!" Oliver cried, practically shaking with excitement. Oliver felt like he'd been having the best week ever and he suddenly wished so much that Wally was there with him. He knew Wally would be so happy to hear the news that Jack Scout had come by the camp site, and also that Wally would understand everything that he was feeling about the things that Jasper had told him. He also wished Dexter was there because how cool would Dexter have thought it that Jasper could speak sign language? Ollie could almost hear Dexter's "whoa" even clear across the distance that separated them... but it was really Wally that Oliver couldn't get out of his mind.

Oliver could barely sleep that night, he was so excited. He lay on his back in bed in the tent that he and Jasper were sharing. Jasper was across the room, curled and back-to Oliver, snoring quietly, the sound of that keeping him awake as well. But when he did finally drift off, it was to a dream of Wally.

Meanwhile, in their tent, James was asleep when he was awakened by the feeling of Sirius climbing in beside him. "Hullo Prongs," Sirius said as he snuggled into James's side. 

"Hullo," James murmured without opening his eyes. 

Sirius grinned when James brought his arm 'round his mates shoulders, and murmured, "And it isn't even Tuesday or a Bank Holiday."

"Perhaps it's the swan upping?" James's voice was a blur.

Sirius shook his head, "No, that's the third week of July, darling."

"It's a whole week? Bloody hell."

"What's the matter, Harem? You don't want to be mine for a whole week each July?"

"I'm worried about the chafing," James joked.

"Witty, even when asleep!" Sirius chuckled, "No wonder I love you."

James shifted a bit and Sirius sank even closer against him. "Where'd you go earlier?" James asked, waking up a bit and tilting his head as Sirius lay his cheek against James's chest. He was glad Jasper and Oliver had their own tent. He doubted very much whether anyone besides the Marauders and Lily would ever understand the way he let Sirius cuddle so intimately. He was just damned glad Lily understood. But of course, Sirius and Lily cuddled this way, too, and he, James, understood that as well. Sirius had some kind of free pass of intimacy among everyone it seemed.

"Popped back to London for a quickie with my hubby," Sirius said, listening to James's heartbeat - the most comforting sound he knew in the entire world. He closed his eyes. "It was glorious - I never felt so thoroughly --"

James cleared his throat.

Sirius laughed. "What's the matter?"

"You know I don't need the details about you and your - your other lovers," James said.

Sirius grinned. "Sorry, darling."

"You couldn't go a single day without a boinking?" James asked, teasing.

"What can I say? I'm an insatiable slut, Prongs." Sirius was joking, of course. The more vulgar a sentence, the funner it was to say. He chuckled. "Hey... James?"

"Yeah?"

"Regulus's portrait can talk."

"Yeah, you told me - he said bless you."

"Actually he said gesundheit," Sirius corrected, "But I mean he says even more than that now."

"Gesundheit sounds more like something you would say than Regulus," James observed. 

"Fuck off. He said it," Sirius said defensively.

James laughed, "Alright, Godric... So what else did he say?"

"I dunno, not a whole lot. I mentioned the thestrals to him. He say why he could see them, though."

"So that's why you went back to London."

"Yeah. The boink was just a bonus."

James rolled his eyes. 

Sirius was quiet a moment. Then, "I didn't get to tell him I'm sorry."

"He knows, Sirius," James said quietly.

"Yeah. I guess. I still want to say it."

"Why didn't you, then?"

"Well we were talking and all of a sudden, he just... went back to being a portrait. Like it was Regulus and then it wasn't. It was just a parchment with a drawing on it." Sirius's voice was sad. "Like he went somewhere else."

James felt his skin chill. 

Sirius turned his head to look up at James. "Prongs? What's the matter? Your heart rate just, like, doubled."

"Nothing."

"Something."

James shook his head. "Just... I'm sorry that the portrait went still on you. I'm sure he'll come back. It's done that before, hasn't it? When it said bless you --"

"Gesundheit."

"-- it went still for a bit then, too, didn't it?"

"I suppose."

"Well, there you have it. He'll come back."

"I hope so."

James squeezed Sirius tighter and sighed. Sirius listened as James's heart rate calmed and slowly returned back to normal.

"Prongs?"

"Yeah, Padfoot?"

"I love you more than life itself," Sirius said.

The next morning, they went down to the pitch just like Jack Scout suggested and he got them in to the practice. James took notes on some of the routine warm ups they did and drew diagrams on a bit of parchment as they watched - planning for when he would train Oliver. Ollie couldn't believe how lucky he felt to be there, and he kept elbowing James and Jasper and pointing out the different players he recognized from the pages of Quaffle Talk. They didn't end up getting to meet any of them, but Jack Scout brought out a quaffle that had been signed by the whole English team and gave it to James, who in turn gave it to Oliver. 

Peter Pettigrew arrived that morning and he brought along a good deal of sweets that he'd picked up during his morning runs in Diagon Alley, and they had a terribly healthy breakfast of candy, candy, and balls of Drooble's Best for dessert. When it was time to go up to the seats, Frank Longbottom came and met them at the tents - he'd shied away before, nervous because of Sirius's attitude, and, indeed, Sirius continued being a prat toward him. He brought along with him Sean Buckner and McKenna Alliston, too, both of whom had come in that morning with tickets from the Ministry for Magic. 

"A great perk, it is," Sean said. "I tried at gettin' Annalee to come along but she said she'd rather poke her eyes out than sit through a match."

"Funny," Sirius said, "She used to love quidditch."

"Yeah," James said, "But I reckon it's the same reason why Remus liked it."

Sirius grinned, "You know Remus had a crush on Derek Bell?"

"Who didn't?" McKenna asked.

Later, at the match, the competition was fierce, just as the program Oliver got had predicted. Both sides played hard and the score climbed and climbed - and Oliver kept asking, "Goddddds why hasn't Chopan gone for the snitch yet, he could win." 

"He probably hasn't seen it yet," Sirius said, feet up on the boards, laying back in his seat.

"How has he not seen it yet?" Oliver demanded - he'd been following it with his eyes for half the match at that point.

James grinned at Oliver, realizing what he was doing. "You're going to be great someday, kid," he said.

Oliver glanced at James. "You really think so, don't you?"

"I know it," James promised.

The English ended up winning when the Seeker FINALLY spotted the Snitch, and the crowd went wild. Oliver cheered and whistled and all of them hugged and jumped and made a great ruckus.

But even as spectacular as the match was, and as much fun as Oliver had, and all the grand things that happened - when he got back to Gryffindor tower that night and Wally came running out of the portrait hole to greet him, wrapping his arms about Oliver's neck and nearly knocking him over, all Oliver had to say about it was, "I mean... the match was alright... but I sure am glad to be back here with you."